


Legally Leif

by Adohug



Category: Legally Blonde - All Media Types, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Bisexual Zoey Clarke, Joan Max and Abigail are all mentioned once or twice, Legally Blonde AU, Multi, but its only chip on my shoulder, but theres options if you'd rather not, im not tagging the characters i only really mention, the author cannot stop the interpretation of the readers, you can interpret this as zeif if you so choose, zoey mentions a near-death experience just an fyi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:29:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29644425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adohug/pseuds/Adohug
Summary: Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Zoey stepped back to a reasonable distance for this conversation. “First of all, you can see that I’m not dressed up for Halloween.” She paused as the words processed. “Okay,technically, I actually forgot it was Halloween, but my point still stands. I don’t go to parties, they’re a waste of time.”Leif looked as if he wanted to argue, but she silenced him with a look. If he wanted advice he was going to shut up to get said advice.Or: I had a vision of Zoey as Emmett and this was the resultOr or: Legally Blonde!au but it's really just Chip on my Shoulder
Relationships: Autumn/Zoey Clarke, Tobin Batra/Leif Donnelly (Past), Zoey Clarke & Leif Donnelly
Kudos: 5





	Legally Leif

**Author's Note:**

> BIG thanks to musicals_musicals for being my beta for this! 
> 
> like the tags say this CAN be read as zeif but i'm not tagging it as such because it wasn't fully intended as such. that being said, i cant stop you (and i wont! multishipping for the win)

Zoey Clarke just wanted to get to her tiny car, drive to her tiny apartment and crash on her tiny bed for the night (hopefully with some cuddling with her girlfriend thrown in before the oblivion of sleep overtakes her consciousness), but her plans were disturbed by a poorly concealed sob she can’t help but overhear. 

She backtracked slightly, tearing her eyes away from her intended path to look around, confused, until she located a surprisingly familiar person in a… _revealing_ bunny costume.

“Woah, Leif?” The freshman didn’t look up when she said her name. Against her better judgement, she stepped closer to him. “What’s up… doc?”

He didn’t laugh at her joke (or even acknowledge it, which was a blow to her ego). Instead, he just stared morosely at the ground and spat out a single word. “Love.”

Zoey looked around awkwardly, having no idea how to react to the situation she had accidentally found herself in. Unfortunately no one else popped out of the bushes to take over for her, so she did her best. “I’m sorry?”

Leif continued talking as if he didn’t hear her (he probably didn’t, the ass), gesturing dramatically and staring off into the distance. “I let myself follow _love_ , and where does it lead me?”

Not quite sure what she’s doing, Zoey stepped closer to him and cast a look around Harvard’s campus, trying to figure out what he was looking at. “Love led you _here_?” She said hesitantly, pointing down at the bench they were now sitting on together.

“It led me to this _hell_.” Leif angrily scrubbed at his face, probably wiping away the tears that Zoey wasn’t going to mention. “And now I’m _failing_ my classes, everyone _hates_ me, and my ex boyfriend can’t even look up from his new girlfriend long enough to notice that I’m _here_!” Is he even aware of Zoey’s existence? Was she supposed to respond? Because this was a little too far out of her wheelhouse to deal with in the middle of the night. “Like… you.” He pointed at Zoey. “Go grab a rock,” So she was supposed to be participating in this conversation. _Joy_. “I’ll hold my head still--”

“Hold up,” Zoey interrupted that suddenly dark thought loudly, and Leif actually looked up at her for the first time since she stumbled upon him. “Go back.” She gestured as she talked, as if illustrating his story. “You followed your ex here and _just so happened_ to get into, I don’t know, _Harvard_ , to try and get him back?” At Leif’s small nod, Zoey dropped her hands in a mix of amusement and frustration. “Man, what bougie world did _you_ come from?”

Leif shivered lightly, his lack of an actual coat clearly catching up with him. “Malibu.”

Zoey wasn’t thinking as she slid her outermost jacket off (she had a second one on as well as a sweater, a button-down shirt, and an undershirt, in comparison to his shirt that was just-- is that _mesh_?), and not for the first time she was grateful that it was _so_ oversized on her, because as she pulled it over his shoulders it was only a little small. “So you gave up _Malibu_ in this convoluted plan for… love? That is the weirdest reason for law school I have ever--”

“Well, why are _you_ here?” Leif bit out at her, and she blinked, thrown off by the change in topic. 

“I’m here to become a lawyer. You know, the main reason people go to law school?” Zoey said, raising her eyebrows. She was tempted to just leave it at that, but something about the situation made Zoey want to continue. It’s not like Leif was in any place to judge her since he was sitting outside crying in 40 degree weather in a mesh shirt. “Neither of my parents made it to college,” Zoey began, staring down at her hands rather than looking at Leif, not wanting to see the judgmental expression that most rich kids wore when they heard her story. “They always struggled to make ends meet, and then my older brother dropped out of college when his fiancée got pregnant to raise their kid while she worked.”

“That sucks,” Leif muttered. He looked a little uncomfortable but not in a _Your life story is pathetic_ way; it was more that he was clearly a bit out of his depth.

“Well,” Zoey continued. “I wanted to be more. I wanted to be able to support my family, so I busted my ass off to cross the country and get my degree while working two different jobs. I left all of them behind in San Francisco, but it will be worth it when I get a job and start making a living.” She blatantly remembered where the conversation had first started, and did her best to bring them back to the light argument from before. “So anyway, I’m _so_ sorry that I didn’t start mothering you at your sob story,” She finished sarcastically, leaning back and crossing her arms.

Leif was clearly happy to be back on familiar ground, looking over at her with this _absolutely infuriating_ smirk and snorting. “Well ex _cuse_ me. Just because _you_ have some sort of… chip on your shoulder--”

“You know what?” Zoey interrupted him for a turn, relishing a little at the offense on his face. “You’re right. I have a chip on my shoulder, because why the hell _wouldn’t_ I work as hard as I can? I’m so…” She made a vague gesture, as if she was reaching for something. “I’m _this_ close to my goals, my _dreams_ , and I’m not going to lose this chance just because I took a break.” She gave him a once-over, finally registering his entire costume (yeah, that shirt was mesh _and_ see-through, not to mention his shorts that were so small she wasn’t sure they still qualified as clothing). “Maybe you should get a chip of your own.”

“No thanks,” Leif dismissed, despite the fact that he was clearly miserable and was doing his best to disappear into the slightly too small jacket. “That sounds entirely too negative for me.”

Zoey shrugged, standing up. If he doesn’t want to listen she can’t do anything about it; she might as well just let him drop out and she can always get her jacket back before a lecture. “Well, you can’t blame me for trying.” She muttered, adjusting the strap of her messenger bag. “See you in class.” She only made it a few steps before he called out and stopped her.

“Wait!” She couldn’t ignore the desperation in his voice, and reluctantly turned around. She let Leif work out whatever it was he wanted to say without interruption. “Two jobs _plus_ law school? How did you do it?”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Zoey stepped back to a reasonable distance for this conversation. “First of all, you can see that I’m not dressed up for Halloween.” She paused as the words processed. “Okay, _technically_ , I actually forgot it was Halloween, but my point still stands. I don’t go to parties, they’re a waste of time.”

Leif looked as if he wanted to argue, but she silenced him with a look. If he wanted advice he was going to shut up to get said advice.

“I also don’t spend too much time picking my outfits or keeping in shape,” She continued, gesturing to her coat that she bought on clearance at Goodwill and her sweater that was at least five years old. “I don’t have the time to spare to care about my hair or facial washing routine. I’m lucky if my girlfriend gets me to eat breakfast before leaving for the day.”

“Proper nutrition is important,” Leif commented. He was probably one of those people who ate ridiculously extravagant breakfasts every day.

“It’s also expensive,” Zoey argued. “I’m barely scraping by with all of my bills and loans right now; I’m not sure my current salary can survive actual food. It’s not like I have the safety net of a trust fund or my parents’ wallet to fall back on if everything goes to shit.” Leif genuinely looked ashamed at that, and Zoey didn’t quite know what to think about it. “But I know that all of this struggle and hardship will be worth it when I _finally_ win my first lucrative trial and help my parents retire.”

Leif’s expression is one of… pity? Ew. “That’s super cheesy, Zoey.”

She shook her head. “It’s not cheesy, it’s something they deserve. And once I can help them, I’m going to help them, end of story. I can’t afford to take care of myself right now, but it will pay off one day. Work hard, and enjoy the rewards when they come naturally instead of seeking pleasure now.”

“I’m not _seeking pleasure_ ,” Leif looked downright uncomfortable repeating her words, obviously taking them the wrong way. “I’m… I need everyone to see that I’m serious. I need to _prove_ that I’m serious.”

“You want to prove that you’re serious?” Zoey narrowed her eyes, trying to imagine Leif as a functional student. They could probably make it work. “I’ll tutor you. Prove to _me_ that you’re willing to put in the work.”

Leif narrowed his eyes in return, finally standing up and reminding Zoey that he has at least a foot on her. Clearly the challenge was effective as he held out his hand for her to shake. “You have yourself a deal.”

After a bit of deliberation they made their way back to his dorm. Zoey texted Autumn to let her know that she would be later than normal, and not to wait up for her. She received a goodnight text just as they entered his room, and her smile from her girlfriend was quickly replaced with a _lot_ of surprise, her attention immediately drawn to the overflow of clothing. “How the hell do you have this many sweaters?”

“They’re _cardigans_ ,” Leif corrected her, striding in and grabbing a few different pieces of clothing. “I’ll be right out, just need to change into something more dignified.” Without a second glance at her he closed the door to what must be an en suite bathroom (why wasn’t _her_ dorm this fancy when she was in one?).

Zoey took the chance to look around his room properly. Like she commented on before, there were cardigans hanging up pretty in pretty much every place you _could_ place a hanger. His bed was pristinely made, but Zoey couldn’t help but stare at the setup he had. “That’s a lot of hair products,” She commented out loud.

Leif groaned through the door. “You wouldn’t _believe_ how much time it takes to get my hair so effortlessly lightly tousled.”

“That… makes no sense,” Zoey muttered. Louder, she asked him a question. “Hey, where are your law books?”

It was disturbingly silent for far too long. “I’m sure they’re out there somewhere,” He eventually replied, and if Zoey was religious she would have said a prayer. She used a pen with a feather on the end to lift the edge of one of the many magazines on the desk to reveal, _shocker_ , more magazines. 

He emerged shortly after in a matching pajama set that probably cost more than her entire wardrobe combined and started searching the room for his books. While he was distracted, Zoey grabbed his trashcan and inched her way towards his hair products. “You know, this is a really nice vanity,” She started in an innocent tone, trying to decide which one she wanted to throw away first. Unfortunately they were all equally obnoxious. “But I know for a fact that this used to be a desk.” In one swift motion she knocked most of his products into the bin.

“What are you doing?” The panic in his voice was (hopefully) mostly unwarranted, so she kept going, looking around the room to decide what she wanted to toss next.

“We can sort through this later and save what matters,” She placated. “Get it so that it all fits on your _actual_ bathroom’s counter.” She picked up the weirdest looking jar, finally pausing in her campaign. “I have no idea what this is.”

Leif snatched it out of her hands, holding it to his chest defensively. “It’s for hair.”

“Wear a hat.”

Leif appeared downright _insulted_ at that, and Zoey tried her best not to feel pleased. This was fun.

“Look, Leif, if you spent as much time improving the _inside_ of your head as the _outside_ , you could actually be an average student.” She turned back around, tilting her head. Next up… where to put this giant mirror? Right now it was sitting in front of the only bookshelf, rendering it useless. 

“I’ll have you know that I had a 4.0 average at UCLA,” Leif said, but Zoey just snorted.

“Okay, frat boy, in what?” She set down the trash can full of hair products and watched Leif hang over the side of his bed, presumably still looking for his books.

He didn’t verbally reply, instead choosing to growl.

She turned around at that noise, intending to make eye contact, but she can’t find his face since he’s slowly falling lower and lower under the bed. “Oh, are you angry? Good! If you’re angry, you can work out of spite. Spite is one of the greatest motivators on the face of the earth; it got me through a required course called _Victim Blaming Wins Cases._ Ugh. To succeed, you need motivation; if you don’t have a personal one, spite works just fine until you--”

“Found them!” Leif called out triumphantly, rolling out from under his bed (Zoey refused to try and figure out how he fit under there) and handing Zoey his textbooks, clearly proud of himself for doing the absolute minimum.

Zoey gave him the most obvious fake smile she could, maintaining eye contact as she pulled the plastic off of them. “You’ve been reading these hard, obviously.” Leif’s face fell slightly before the annoyed glare returned. He snatched the final textbook from Zoey and pulled off the remaining plastic himself. 

She did eventually make it home that night, but not before sitting Leif down and organizing a tutoring schedule for the rest of the semester. During the sessions she did her best to avoid personal conversations but Leif managed to get a few more personal details out of her, despite her best efforts, and she ended up learning more about him than she wanted to. Like, for instance, the fact that his ex (Tobin Batra, also in Professor Bennett’s class) doesn’t look away from his girlfriend often because said girlfriend is _deaf_ (Leif got a lecture from her about sensitivity that session instead of any actual tutoring because _what the fuck_ ). Or the fact that he has two younger brothers who, until he came to Harvard, were shaping up to already be more successful than him.

Or the fact that they apparently had a similar caffeine problem. 

He was finally making a little progress -- actually remembering terms they’d reviewed -- when Leif stood up and stretched. “I need a drink,” He complained, leaning over to grab a jacket and his wallet. “What’s your go-to, Red Bull or Monster?”

Zoey shook her head rapidly. “I can’t have energy drinks anymore, just get me a half-caf latte.” She would normally decline any kind of drink, but in the short time she’s known Leif she’s learned (against her will) that he will pay for anything she ordered within his presence, so she’s stopped fighting him. Free sustenance is free sustenance. 

“Can’t?” He latched onto that, oh no. “What do you mean you _can’t_?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” She tried, but this man is nothing if not persistent (which is why he knows she’s bi). She sighed, giving in. “I had a caffeine overdose from energy drinks my final semester during finals week. I almost died during an exam.” She paused, ready for the normal gasp and pity phrases, but is surprised when none come. “I, uh, I switched to coffee after that, been trying to cut back on my intake.”

Leif was silent, but she refused to look up at him. Eventually he muttered out a soft “oh” before he left, probably to get the drink he’d been talking about.

She was genuinely surprised to have a coffee cup placed down next to her when he returned, and she looked up to see him shrug before returning his attention to his books.

Before she knew it Thanksgiving break arrived, and with it came one last study session before Zoey could go fall into her girlfriend’s arms. 

“Bye, Tobin!” Leif called out from his doorway, and she can’t see his face but she can _hear_ the dopey grin overtaking it. “Say hi to your family for me!” He also made some sort of gesture that Zoey can’t see because he’s turned away, but she had a sneaking suspicion that it was ASL (the few library books about sign language littered around his law books were a big clue).

As Leif leaned back into his room, Zoey held up a new flash card from the stack they had been working through. “Define malum prohibitum.”

“Malum prohibitum is…” He floundered, probably scraping the bottom of his brain to find the definition.

Zoey waited a few seconds before taking pity on him and giving him a small prompt. “An act prohibited--”

“An act prohibited by law!” Leif practically shouted, jumping onto the bed and sending the neat stack of cards flying. “Like jaywalking, or chewing gum in Singapore.”

“Therefore malum ensae…”

“Is an action that is evil in itself,” Leif finished, clearly proud of himself. “Examples include assault, murder, and wearing two different plaids at the same time.”

“Not the standard example, but I’ll take it,” Zoey congratulated (only a little sarcastically). 

They covered a few other topics before an alarm sounded on Leif’s phone that interrupted Zoey mid card. “What’s that?”

Leif silenced his phone and stood up. “Just a reminder that I need to pack.”

Zoey frowned. “Pack? Where are you going?”

He looked at her like she’s grown a second head. “Home, duh. It’s Thanksgiving break.”

She ignored the pang of homesickness that ran through her at the unintentional reminder that she can’t afford to go back home for the holidays, _again_. Thank goodness that Autumn was a local, otherwise they’d have no place to go. Definitely not thinking about that, she nodded at his statement. “Interesting.” 

Leif paused, suitcase half-full already. “What?” He asked, clearly sensing a Zoey Lecture.

Zoey shrugged casually, waving the card she had been reading (common law marriage). “Nothing. It’s just… based on how you’re doing, you’ll probably pass right now--” Leif brightened at that statement, but she continued before he can celebrate. “But at the bottom of the class.”

“What?” This interjection came with more surprise, and Zoey grinned. She knew that his competitive nature would appear if she said that.

“I mean, you’re doing _great_ in the mediocre race.” She continued, shuffling the cards for something to do.

Leif pouted, clearly torn over what to do. “That’s not fair.” 

“Life’s not fair,” Zoey replied with more bitterness than she expected. “Not everyone can fly across the country to visit their family. In fact, those who _actually_ want to go far tend to stay over break to gain the advantage over their classmates.” That came from personal experience, but he didn’t have to know that. “Besides, don’t you hate your family? Studying is the perfect excuse to skip an awkward dinner.”

He slumped, her words finally breaking through his thick skull (though that might also have been from relief? She wasn’t sure). “Why do you always have to be right?”

“Because I’m the knowledgeable one,” She answered with a smile as he sat back down. “Now, can you explain to me the importance of _Brown versus Board of Ed_?”

Thanksgiving weekend passed and Leif’s grades steadily improved. Zoey adjusted their schedule and the content of their tutoring as his weak spots and strengths made themselves more evident, and by Winter Break some of their study sessions had been allowed to just become hangouts without falling behind on work. It surprised Zoey most of all to find that Leif had become a friend of hers, especially since the last time she had a friend he left after getting his bachelor’s in acting to move to California (she was still waiting for the day she sees “Max Richman” flashing across the screen of whatever new movie or tv show she turned on) and the only other person she regularly interacted with outside of Professor Bennett was her girlfriend. After all, he was incredibly annoying and basically her polar opposite; the odds of them even meeting must’ve been astronomically small. 

So why the fuck was she walking down the hallway to his room?

Zoey slowed her pace as she heard him call out _another_ lovesick goodbye to Tobin (leaving on another trip with his girlfriend, no doubt) but noticed that he was facing the other way down the hallway. A stupid idea crossed her mind, and she smiled.

She sneaked as best she could up behind him, which wasn’t hard, considering that most of Leif’s attention was focused on the corner Tobin had just disappeared around. She tapped him on the shoulder and quickly ducked; previous experience proved helpful, as his hands whipped around and would have smacked her in the face if she hadn’t. “Zoey, hey?” Leif greeted, confusion lacing his tone. “I thought we didn’t have a session today.”

“We don’t. I just…” She pulled a poorly-wrapped gift from behind her back, holding it out. “I got you a gift, because you said you were staying over break? Happy holidays.”

“Oh, I didn’t…”

“You don’t have to get me anything,” Zoey dismissed. “Go on, open it!”

He did so, eyes widening comically when he realized what was inside.

“It’s both shampoo _and_ conditioner,” Zoey explained, excited. “In one! It’s a real time saver, I thought you might like it.”

“It’s…” Leif began, swallowing. “It’s so kind of you to think of me.”

“Well… What are friends for?” Before Zoey can continue, footsteps rapidly approached them and a voice called out.

“Hey, Leif!”

Zoey had never seen Leif move that quickly. In less time than it took to blink he was turned around, no doubt sporting another dopey grin. “Tobin!”

Tobin seemed to ignore his expression, a little frantic. “Have you seen Abigail? She won’t answer my texts.”

Leif, in the same starstruck tone, sighed out a “Yeah…” until he actually processed Tobin’s words. “I… I mean no. Sorry.”

“Great,” Tobin groaned, “We’re gonna miss our flight!” With that, Tobin ran off again.

Leif was practically frozen in place. Zoey took a few steps around him, waving her hand in front of his eyes, but he didn’t so much as blink. “Uh… Leif?” The wheels in her head started to turn, connecting dots she wasn’t sure she should connect or not. She sort of half pushed him into his room, closing the door before she continued. “Have you ever noticed that every single functional thought you’ve ever had sprints out of the room the moment Tobin shows up?”

Still in a daze, Leif just grunted at her.

“Well…” Zoey continued, projecting more confidence than she felt in that moment. “It’s really none of my business, but… maybe the reason you’re falling short of your goal of winning him back… _is_... him?”

Zoey could see his thoughts returning to his body as her words sunk in, and could pinpoint the exact moment his epiphany occurred. “You’re right,” Leif muttered, astonishment in his voice. “I’ve been so busy trying to make myself appealing to him… I forgot why he liked me in the first place! I’m scaring him away by doing this… this dopey, doe-eyed act!” Leif closed his eyes, a frantic laugh escaping. “Well, no more! I’m going to prove to him, to _everyone_ , that I deserve to be here.” The next time he and Zoey lock eyes, she had to resist the urge to take a step back at his expression. “You know what? I think I found a chip on my shoulder.”

This was not the intent of Zoey’s visit today, but she’ll take it. “Alright. What say we revamp our study schedule?” She didn’t have much time (dates wait for no woman), but she had enough to decide when they were next going to meet and work over break. 

She told Autumn as much during their date, pointing out that she probably would be busier than she first thought because of Leif’s newfound drive, and Autumn simply smiled. “Sounds like he hit a patch of character growth, huh?”

Zoey nodded, swallowing her mouthful before replying. “Yeah. I’m honestly a little proud? I think I helped him. Is this what a little brother feels like?”

“No,” Autumn laughed, stealing a fry from Zoey’s plate, “It’s what a friend feels like.”

Over the next few weeks Zoey actually appreciated her newly-packed schedule, because she always liked how fast time passed when she had no free time. Leif’s new motivation manifested in practically speedrunning her tutoring plans for the first few sessions, obviously studying outside of their meetups, until she adjusted accordingly and matched his new pace. She kept an eye on his grades, especially his grades in Professor Bennett’s class, and watching them skyrocket the moment his work ethic shifted was satisfying as fuck.

The culmination of his hard work came one day during Professor Bennett’s class, actually, just as Tobin was finishing his defense for a mock trial. “Obviously Mr. Ladimer was within his rights to ask for visitation, Professor. I mean, without his sperm, that kid wouldn’t exist!”

“Now you’re thinking like a lawyer,” Professor Bennett praised as Tobin sat back down, and Zoey suppressed the urge to gag. Honestly, his wife was way too nice for him; how did they even get married? Bennett’s sigh broke her out of her thoughts. “Yes, Mr. Donnelly?” Zoey tried to keep her newfound interest hidden, slowly sitting forward in her seat.

“I’m sure we can all agree that Mr. Batra makes an excellent point,” Leif began, “But did the defendant keep a log of _every_ sperm emission made throughout his life?”

Zoey frowned, trying to figure out where he was going with this, and Professor Bennett voiced her thoughts. “That’s an interesting question. Why do you ask?”

Leif stood up, calm and confident. “Well, unless the defendant attempted to contact every sexual encounter to find out if a child resulted from those unions, he has no parental claim over this child whatsoever. Why now? Why this sperm?” She blinked. That’s a rather unorthodox approach to this argument, but it’s a valid rebuttal and something the jury would hear.

Bennett nodded, reluctantly conceding the point.

Leif continued, apparently not done. “Additionally, by Mr. Huntington's standards, all masturbatory emissions where the sperm was clearly not seeking an egg would be called reckless abandonment.”

The lecture hall is silent for a moment before Professor Bennett responded. “Mr Donnelly… you just won your case.”

Zoey’s laugh of joy is drowned out by the astonished talk of the rest of the students, wondering where the hell _that_ came from. Leif had been the laughing stock of the class for the entire semester, and suddenly he beats the teacher’s pet? Bennett dismissed them early, and the gossip left with the students.

Professor Bennett stopped Leif before Zoey could get to him, and she hovered behind him. She had no idea what was about to happen. “Excellent work today, Mr. Donnelly. Based on today, I assume you’re applying for my internship.” Of _course_ he assumed that, the smug bastard. “Do you have a resume?”

Leif surprised her, again, by grabbing a folder and pulling out some paper. “I am a step ahead of you, sir. Here you go.” He handed the papers, presumably his resume, to Professor Bennett with a smile. “Thanks in advance for your consideration.” And with a small wave to Zoey he’s gone, but Zoey knew she could congratulate him later at their study session.

Professor Bennett held the papers up to his nose, inhaling. “Dear god, it’s _scented_.” Zoey schooled her face into a professional smile, suppressing her laughter better than she thought she would as he turned around to her. “You know, three months ago I would have recycled this immediately… Make sure this ends up on my desk.” He handed her the papers (why… are they pink?) before walking off for one reason or another, leaving Zoey alone in the lecture hall.

Zoey brought the resume up to smell it for herself, recognizing Leif’s aftershave that permeated his entire room as the scent. She smirked, putting it into her “for Bennett” folder and slinging her bag back over her shoulder. Guess his new motivation really worked. With this win, plus his nearly-perfect score on his first big test, Zoey’s glad that she stopped and helped him on Halloween. She left the lecture hall as well, heading towards a lunch date with Autumn with a spring in her step for the success of her friend.

…

“Wait. That fucker still has my jacket!”

**Author's Note:**

> so? comments and kudos always appreciated!


End file.
